There are numerous start-up companies in Israel today, but finding investors to fund the new technology is often a challenge. In the field of Greentech, Terra Venture Partners (TVC) has made it their objective to fund and invest in promising seed and early-stage start-ups led by top entrepreneurs in energy, water and other environmental sectors.
Catching up with TVP’s General Partner Astorre Modena, Modena explained some of the unique aspects of the firm and what they have accomplished since their founding in 2007.
TVP currently invests in four companies: Phoebus Energy, IQWind, Biological Alarm Systems, and LithiumForce.
Modena reported that these companies are not only companies that they have supplied capital to, but rather three of the four are companies that they provided the initial investment and have actively advised them on improving their business and attracting other investors.
Because TVP invests in companies at the early stages, they place high value on a company’s technological innovation and leadership, so that the product is solid and the company will have the ability to prosper under TVP’s management.
Founders Astorre Modena and Harold Wiener both come from business and clean technology backgrounds, and they know the field of alternative energy very well. Right now, Modena said that they are close to making deals with three other cleantech companies, and the firm’s goal is to eventually expand to around 12 companies under their management. Also exciting news is that both Phoebus Energy and IQWind recently received additional investments from international firms.
With 25 million dollars under their management, TVP gets its capital mostly from Europe and the US, and they invest anywhere from 100,000 to 2 million dollars into start-up Israeli clean tech companies. Modena reported that the main challenge in Israel is the lack of capital. For a company to become established, there is often insufficient money available and in many cases the entrepreneurs are less experienced than in hightech which makes the active role of early-stage VCs much more critical.
As Terra Venture Partners expands, they hope to continue improving clean technology companies that have high levels of leadership and innovation. With clean technology, innovation is key, but without a solid business model, strong execution or proper funding, a genius idea may never come to fruition and be able to help the world.
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